I live in Los Angeles, in Los Feliz, to be exact, and was shocked to find how limited the selection of Goya products are at the local supermarkets (though I come from a city with a large Brazilian population, so maybe I'm spoiled). I know their products have more of a Caribbean slant, but I would think that their high quality and lower sodium content would have some appeal to Angelenos. I am specifically looking for this: http://www.amazon.com/Goya-Extra-Fine...I could order it from Amazon, but I'd love to have it today, if at all possible. Anyone buy this regularly and know where I could pick it up, somewhat locally?

Hello! I want to get my brother an amazing olive oil for Christmas--ideally from Sicily, though any part of Italy will do (we're Italian, so he's partial to Italian products). Honestly, I barely know where to start looking. Does anyone know of a fantastic oil that I can order online? I guess I need to order today (hello, last-minute shopping)! I'm willing to spend about $30-$40, but am also happy to spend less if something tastes wonderful. He generally likes peppery olive oils, but I really feel like I could go in any direction. Just something new and interesting--he's a very creative cook and will like anything, so long as it has a great flavor.

I know that the best lobsters are in Essex, but I have a little bit of a dilemma. My fiance and I are having our wedding in Salem next weekend, and would like to take people to the beach and then out for lobsters on Sunday, following the festivities. Most people aren't renting cars because Salem is such a great walking city.

Any tips on how I can swing a beach/lobster day easily? Nothing is coming to mind. People can do the commuter rail--and I think they'd love that--but what beaches on the North Shore are truly walkable from the train, beyond Singing Beach (can't think of a cool lobster shack there)?

My boyfriend and I are heading to Vancouver this weekend and thought we might do a little daytrip to a local winery. Any suggestions?We may go car-less, so we'd love something on a train line. However, for the right winery we'd be down for a drive up to an hour. A place that has some great food nearby gets an extra gold star.Thank you!

I posted a thank you, but I didn't mention what everyone actually brought. My boyfriend and I were clearly the most clueless, because the food was seriously good and it made me a convert to this kind of theme party.

1. The best French Onion Soup I've ever had in my life (Julia & Julia -- I thought it had to be for Oscar nominated pictures, but I was wrong). I guess the key is to caramelize the onions within an inch of their lives. 2. Amazing Beef Bourguinon (Julia & Julia)3. Bourbon chicken wings and buttermilk biscuits (Crazy Heart)4. Strudel with creme fraiche (Inglourious Basterds)

We brought a salad with French greens and a lemon vinaigrette for An Education and some Hurt Locker Hummus, which worked, but hardly wowed like the other dishes did. Now that we know what we're in for, next year we plan to kick as much ass as the other guests.

Hi Ciao Bob (and all Chowhounds)! Thank you all for your recommendations, which I intend to keep in mind--because they really all sounded fantastic--and which I have since forwarded on to my friends on the west side of town.

As for my guests? They canceled :(. Turns out that, as much as we all wanted to see each other, the dip down to LA from Montreal didn't make sense. Hopefully they'll get down for a visit soon and I'll be able to show off with some of your suggestions!

Hi! My boyfriend and I are traveling to Vancouver for Memorial Day weekend and would love suggestions on your favorite (not too expensive, we're on a budget) B&Bs, with great coffee and breakfast.

Also, while I'll definitely search this board for food suggestions, if you have a B&B recommendation and there are other great places to eat in the vicinity, we'd love to hear them.

A little about our taste: We prefer good food in casual, cozy, homey environments. Small, funky places with flavorful food are our favorites.

In terms of cuisine: we love sushi, pho, all Japanese and Korean food, interesting burger joints with great beer, daring vegetarian, middle eastern, and amazing localvore cuisine and wine. I am also an ice cream and gelato whore, and he'd sell his soul for the perfect cup of coffee. I also dig wine bars and he loves excellent local brews.

Tall order, I know--and not a particularly focused line of requests so, thank you for any suggestions you want to throw our way.

I have a tall--TALL--order for the Chowhounds, but if you all can't do it, no one can. My faith in internet foodies is in your hands.

My good friend's boyfriend has just been hired as a chef at The French Laundry (yes, the one in Napa, owned by Thomas Keller) and they will be driving through Los Angeles to have brunch with me and my boyfriend on Sunday. They are staying in Brentwood and need to have brunch somewhere on the Westside. My dilemma is where to take them. I live on the Eastside and never get to the Westside for brunch (brunch is meant to be crawled to, on most occasions), so I'd love your opinion.

Oh! As a side note: They are both from Monreal and have spent a significant amount of time in Paris, so if you're inclined to make a suggestion that specializes in French food keep that in mind.

Honestly, I would have loved to have taken them to either Little Dom's in Los Feliz or Square One in Hollywood. Is there anything along those lines that you'd recommend?

HI all,My folks are visiting next week and I'd like to take them for a walk around the Venice canals and then for a nice lunch somewhere on Abbott Kinney. They have good taste, but will probably want a really nice sandwich, soup, or salad rather than a heavy meal. Also, they aren't cheapskates, but they won't let me pay and they live on a fixed income, so I'd rather something reasonably priced.Bonus points for sitting outside. Abbott Kinney is better, since I think they'll be charmed there, but Main Street in Venice is a great second option.Thank you!

Hi Chowhounds! I'm trying to find a fun, low-key place by the water to have some good cocktails tomorrow night with some friends. We'll be meeting up on the earlier side (around 6 p.m., if that helps). I'm picturing a beach shack that serves fun, colorful, beachy drinks (yes, we are all girls--but edgy girls :) ). Would love something with a little local flavor.

An example: I love Flake in Venice; if that served up drinks... especially by the water... it would be perfect.

I'd also suggest Old Spot for a low-key lunch or Finz for something a little more elegant (though certainly not over the top). I also like Gulu-Gulu on Essex St. for a light lunch. Great salads, sandwiches, and crepes and an excellent Belgian beer list. The Soup Factory and Cafe Kushko are also good, but low on any sort of ambiance. If you like Asian, there's also Asahi, which has good sushi (though they skimp on the fish) and really delicious Japanese apps and entrees. A & J King's is not to be missed! I'm partial to their walnut-date and their apricot-ginger scones, but you can't miss with anything there. They may only sell it on Sunday, but they have an apricot fennel loaf of bread that will blow your mind. Get their iced chai! It's perfection! I'd skip In A Pig's Eye. It's a fun sort of "local bar" kind of place, but the food really isn't that good. As a warning, stay away from the chili. It's unpalatable. And, if you are looking to get a coffee or something, do Gulu-Gulu or A&J King--Jaho should be skipped. There are much better options in Salem. Have fun!

Hi Chowhounds,A friend and I are going to the IMAX in Reading tomorrow and hope to find some decent comfort food (that was his request... comfort food) to grab before the movie. Any suggestions? I'm heading in from the North Shore and he's heading in from Cambridge, so it seems like we should look in Wakefield or Reading proper. A good example of the type of food/price point we're looking for would be something like The Burren in Davis Square or The Old Spot in Salem (we don't need an Irish or English bar, but something that can feed us along those lines, without breaking the bank). Or, yummmm... the Flatbread Company in Amesbury/Porstmouth.I've been searching the boards and nothing striking seems to come up. I guess I'm hoping for the best that there will be a diamond in the rough. And if there is a "must have" that is just outside the Reading/Wakefield periphery, feel free to suggest away!

The first time I made this, in a 9-inch round, non-stick cake pan, I found it a little oily too. The second time I made it in an 8-inch, square, glass pan and it was perfect and stayed moist for days. Maybe that's a simple solution for folks.

I have a bit of a picky dilemma. I'm making an Italian dinner for a friend on Friday but we're going to be crunched for time. Basically, I need to jet to his place in Cambridge immediately after work with all the ingredients and have it made in about 30 minutes. I've got the whole thing under control--except for the Italian bread! Where can I get good Italian bread after 6 p.m. in either the Salem-area or someplace in Cambridge.I know Gloucester has some great bread (Sclafani's and Virgilio') but I can't get there Thursday or Friday--and I'd like it to be at least day-of fresh. Is there any place in Salem or Peabody that I'm not aware of? Seems like there are plenty enough Italians to warrant a good bakery!

Tried their pho a few weeks ago. It was good, but it wasn't nearly as good as Pho Minh Ky. If I have it right, Sugarcane serves more of a Northern Vietnamese version (it's simpler and there are no bean sprouts and fewer herbs). I prefer the more complex, Southern Vietnamese pho you get at Pho Minh Ky. Though, I should say, my friend considers himself a pho connoisseur and he really liked Sugarcane.

Sugarcane's food, overall, is pretty good and comes at a great price. And they deliver!

Thank you! I went to Pho Minh Ky in Lynn and got some of the most delicious--most healing--pho ga of my life. Not only that, but they were incredibly helpful, sympathetic and sweet; they even sent me away with some extra chili paste to burn out the cold. Great suggestion. Thank you!

Hello Chowhounds! I posted this on the New England board, but maybe I'll get a better response here.

I'm sick as a dog with a cold that's progressed from my sinuses to my chest. I need some Pho Ga and I need it fast (though I suppose I could settle for another Pho, if need be)! I live in Salem; where's the best Pho Ga in a five mile radius? If I need to drive into Boston for this I'll probably end up passing out at the wheel, so I've got to keep this close.

Thanks treb. And I'm with you on the clams: Woodman's, for all its 'history' doesn't even come close to Farnham's. My friend is pregnant though (and we're meeting before 11 a.m.), so no seafood this time!

I still long for the days of Chipper's River Cafe and their breakfast bundles... does anyone know if they moved to another location?

Anyway, my real question is that I'm from Cape Ann and my friend is from Amesbury and we're trying to find a middle point to have brunch tomorrow. Wondering if any of the hounds have suggestions on where to go. We're thinking of meeting up in Ipswich.